Do the Work

About the Author Steven Pressfield is the bestselling author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire and The War of Art. The latter book spawned Do the Work, as readers kept asking, "What is this terrible thing called Resistance – and how can I overcome it?" Mr. Pressfield (who rarely calls himself "Mr. Pressfield") is a graduate of Duke University and an honorary citizen of the city of Sparta in Greece. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Be Stubborn Once we commit to action, the worst thing we can do is to stop. What will keep us from stopping? Plain old stubbornness. I like the idea of stubbornness because it’s less lofty than “tenacity” or “perseverance.” We don’t have to be heroes to be stubborn. We can just be pains in the butt.When we’re stubborn, there’s no quit in us. We’re mean. We’re mulish. We’re ornery.We’re in till the finish. We will sink our junkyard-dog teeth into Resistance’s ass and not let go, no matter how hard he kicks.Start at the End Here’s a trick that screenwriters use: work backwards. Begin at the finish. If you’re writing a movie, solve the climax first. If you’re opening a restaurant, begin with the experience you want the diner to have when she walks in and enjoys a meal. If you’re preparing a seduction, determine the state of mind you want the process of romancing to bring your lover to.Figure our where you want to go; then work backwards from there.Yes, you say. “But how do I know where I want to go?”